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How Japan Discovered Conservation: Fukushima

Japan lost a quarter of its electric capacity when it shuttered its nuclear reactors in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. Predicted blackouts have not materialized, though, thanks to a national conservation effort that reduced demand by as much as 15 percent.

But the Japanese people have “suffered” with thermostat settings of 83 in summer, according to a Tokyo Gas Company executive studying energy efficiency at Stanford University. They may run short of power this winter, he added, and conservation efforts cannot be expected to endure.

“Thermostats set to 83 degrees? This isn’t energy efficiency. It’s just pushing people to suffer,” said Toshiya Okamura of Tokyo Gas, a visiting scholar at Stanford University’s Precourt Energy Efficiency Center.

“But the government is saying that these voluntary savings will persist. I don’t agree,” Okamura said in an interview released by Stanford’s News Dept.

Toshiya Okamura (Stanford)

Summer energy savings dropped from 15 percent in 2011 to 10 percent in 2012, he noted. And Okamura predicts more power may needed this winter in Japan, where many heaters are electric.

“People did everything they could,” said Okamura. “To minimize air conditioning, they raised thermostats in homes, offices and stores to 83 degrees Fahrenheit, as the government asked. They set every appliance and electronic device to the most energy-efficient settings. They kept the lights off as much as possible. Escalators were shut off.”

The Japanese also benefitted from heavy rains that boosted hydropower and from unusually reliable fossil-fuel generators, he said.

Although America may seem an odd place to study energy conservation—per capita energy use has increased 50 percent here in 40 years, conservation is even less natural to Japan, according to Okamura, and California, in particular, may provide a useful model. Defying the trend in the rest of the United States, Californians have kept their energy consumption per capital at about the same level since 1974, according to the Washington Post.

“The United States and Europe are still learning how to do this, especially regarding behavior change, but you are 10 to 20 years ahead of us on this,” Okamura said.

In the U.S. Okamura hopes to learn how to reduce waste so that his nation can continue to produce more energy and maximize its benefits:

“One thing I’ve learned here is that energy efficiency is about reducing waste – that is, producing more and enjoying the same amenities with lower energy inputs.”

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That might be a little overstated. Most in Japan haven’t complained heavily about being miserable over the summer. Japan also has two public campaigns to help people with small ways to deal with the heat or cold better. Simple things like being encouraged to wear casual clothing or shorts to work can reduce the need for excessive air conditioning in an office.

The power savings were not all done by making people miserable. Things like adopting good quality LED light replacements, installing solar panels on homes (they have a decent feed in tariff for homes) and replacing inefficient appliances have helped lower consumption. In at least parts of Japan your power service cost is tied to how big of a breaker you have for your home. Many people were having smaller breakers installed to lower their power bills after TEPCO announced an increase in rates. So that gives a self imposed reason to over all use less power. Vending machines use tons of power, Coke Japan is installing new machines that use 90% less electricity. In a country full of vending machines that can make a big dent.

Energy use can be reduced through efficiency and not make people suffer. I heard it called the “cold beer and hot shower” index. If you can find ways to lower usage without making people miserable they are generally all for it.

One thing to keep in mind though, is that although the Summer in Japan usually eases off in early or mid September, 2012 actually saw the hottest September on record in 129 years in Japan (since records were first kept), and so the demand on coolers was much greater for longer in the summer of 2012 compared to 2011. That may be one of the reasons behind the variance in reduction referred to here from 15% to 10%. Energy reduction, ‘setsuden’ has been taken very seriously here by both domestic consumers and corporations. It makes sense and will continue as Japan moves to a clean energy future.

Alas, if only humans would act on wisdom rather than on necessity. I lived many years in Miami without a/c. 83 degrees is a piece of cake. However, I would suggest a guaybera shirt rather than a button down collar and a tie. Also, a light diet and a lean body. Californians have been able to keep energy use constant partly because a/c isn’t used very much there on average. From 1974 onward a/c has proliferated across the US.

Very true, Bob. Chicago has avoided deaths from heat waves like the one in 1995 (which killed more than 700 people) in part because more people have air conditioning now. That’s a relatively recent proliferation

Here’s a EIA chart that shows the number of households with central a/c nearly tripled just from 1978 to 1997 in the US, the percentage doubled . Household electricity use went up some 35% over those years (although not in CA). Room a/c held steady all those years. Room a/c is all that is necessary to avoid heat deaths. That, and people looking after those who are most susceptible to heat stroke/dehydration. A/C is a great technology, but like the internal combustion engine, it needs to be appropriately applied. http://www.eia.gov/emeu/consumptionbriefs/recs/actrends/recs_ac_trends.html

Here’s a EIA chart that shows the number of households with central a/c nearly tripled just from 1978 to 1997 in the US, the percentage doubled . Household electricity use went up some 35% over those years (although not in CA). Room a/c held steady all those years. Room a/c is all that is necessary to avoid heat deaths. That, and people looking after those who are most susceptible to heat stroke/dehydration. A/C is a great technology, but like the internal combustion engine, it needs to be appropriately applied. http://www.eia.gov/emeu/consumptionbriefs/recs/actrends/recs_ac_trends.html

That’s very helpful Bob. But what about the very hot regions of California: the Central Valley, the Imperial Valley, Death Valley, the Mojave…. Did they have ac before the 70s, because the developments are younger? Or did they add ac because the state offset the power drain with increased conservation?

I don’t know. CA has set the bar for energy efficiency and conservation. Much of the a/c load in CA can be handled with evaporative cooling rather than with whole-house refrigerant a/c. Here’s a e-brochure from a Lennar home in the Central Valley, listing all the green tech features. I’m not sure if they have evaporative cooling. As you know homes in AZ usually have EC for use during most of the year and refrigerant systems for July-August when the humid monsoon arrives: http://www.lennar.com/images/com/files/new-homes/3/21/1108/scf/Independence-ei-features.pdf